Key Details Not Addressed in DoD Nuclear Weapons Management Report

The Report of the Secretary of Defense Task Force on DoD Nuclear Weapons Management released yesterday is missing some crucial specifics on what management can do to ensure the security of its nuclear weapons.

While the report mentions the important oversight role of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) in conducting independent inspections of DoD's nuclear surety, it does not mention the critical role played by the Army's Special Operations unit, which undergoes terrorist training for the purpose of testing security at Air Force and submarine nuclear bases.

POGO has heard a disturbing rumor that this highly-trained, highly-effective unit has been threatened with disbandment.  The Special Operations unit should actually be expanded if Gates is serious about getting the Air Force back up to the task of managing its nuclear command.

The report found that the Navy does a lot better at security than the Air Force.  One reason for this is that the Navy aggressively utilizes the service of a large number of Marines.  This is a win-win situation, as the Marines gain great training experience at these sites, and the sites benefit from stronger security.

Although the report doesn't mention this, our sources tell us that the Air Force has put all its eggs in one basket when it comes to technology, such as monitors, cameras, and a Perimeter Intrusion Detection Assessment System, known as PIDAS.  Adversaries could potentially plot out how and where such technology is deployed.  On the other hand, manpower defenses are superior because they are able to innovate, and because guard movements are more difficult to predict.  Maybe Gates should task those in charge of the Navy's nuclear security management with getting the Air Force's house in order.

While it was not the mission of this report to revisit Air Force nuclear security failures, the Air Force's pattern of mishaps makes us think that the report's suggestion to simply add a new layer of bureaucracy won't do any good.  Perhaps it would be more appropriate to revisit the question of why we're having the Air Force do this in the first place.  Insiders in the military have suggested that Gates could shut down the Air Force nuclear bases, and have questioned whether or not land-based missiles are even necessary as a deterrent.

-- Peter Stockton and Ingrid Drake